


festival of cliches

by kontj (kaguol)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28341135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaguol/pseuds/kontj
Relationships: Aone Takanobu/Reader
Kudos: 51





	festival of cliches

There is little to be said about Aone Takanobu.

Even when you were younger, this seemed to be a pre-established fact. He mostly kept to himself, speaking as little as possible and only when absolutely necessary. His stoic expression betrayed nothing, remaining solemn even in the direst situations that a six-year-old can think of.

And if you _did_ have anything to say, it would be crushed by his sharp eyes and a towering stature. Gradually, the courtesy invitations to after-school games lessened, until it stopped all together.

Even then, Takanobu never really considered himself to be lonely. What little interactions he had with his peers had been lukewarm, and mostly out of necessity. Their apprehension only made him aware of his presence, so he made himself as scarce as possible.

He didn’t mind. He was content with his party of one, occasionally interrupted by the stray cats outside his home.

You, on the other hand, minded _very_ much.

Your house was not far from his, and you’d sometimes see his little show with the kittens when walking home from school. If you were lucky, you’d even catch a glimpse of his smile.

So here you were, hiding behind a metal post, eyes boring holes into the Aone household. In your little backpack was a paper that promised a night of endless festivities – from fish shaped pastry to actual goldfish scooping. Surely the summer festival was enough of an excuse to hang out with him.

You were so immersed with staring at the door that you didn’t notice the person you were waiting for standing behind you, head tilted in curiosity.

The two of you remained in that position for a moment, until Aone finally reached out to tap your shoulder. You turned, and for a moment, were transfixed with the sight of steel – boring into yours with amusement and curiosity.

“You have pretty eyes.”

You slapped a hand over your mouth, eyes widening at the sudden admission. You would’ve run away then and there, if not for the blush that overcame his cheeks, eyes wide open and mouth slightly ajar. For a moment, you thought that you had broken the poor boy, before he turned away, hand over his mouth in an attempt to conceal the roses on his face.

His flustered form only spurred your determination to befriend him. Quickly rummaging through your bag, you pulled out the poster, lips split in a gap-toothed grin. “Wanna go with me this weekend?”

Aone nodded furiously, and you swear you could see stars in his eyes even as you waved goodbye.

* * *

By the time the weekend rolled around, you were practically buzzing with excitement. It took your parents several trials to get you back into your yukata, as you were basically flying around, waiting for the clock to chime. They barely got their shoes on before you were dashing towards the crossroads that connected your streets.

You couldn’t help but gasp as you neared, pushing past the legs of adults to see your new friend. He wore a black yukata, with swirls of silver that seemed to shimmer underneath the streetlight. It was a nice contrast with his platinum hair, and you unabashedly gushed at him, the praises flowing freely from your mouth turning him scarlet.

The walk to the festival grounds was fairly short, and your chaperones kept a safe distance from the two of you as you walked ahead, chattering animatedly as Aone merely nodded and hummed in response. You didn’t mind the lack of conversation, still riding the high that he had actually showed up.

There was already a crowd when you arrived, and the onslaught of chatter and music was disorienting, especially when you were almost half the size of everyone there.

“Can I hold your hand?”

Your brain frazzled at the situation, trying to keep up with the fact that Aone had spoken – to you – and the fact that he had asked to hold your hand. The realization made your cheeks burn, but you nodded anyway, knowing that it would be better than to get lost in the sea of strangers.

The warmth of his hand in yours was enough to dissipate the feeling of unease, and soon enough, you were tugging him along to each and every stall, eyes shining with excitement.

The night flew by after that, a flurry of games and consolation prizes that the two of you exchanged – as well as matching masks that you had coerced your parents to pay for. Though you were growing tired, you refused to go back home without watching the fireworks display. Aone visibly perked up upon the passing remark of its occurrence, and you were determined to make this the happiest night of his life.

“Taka-chan, over here!”

You waved from your spot in the glade, sending menacing looks to anyone who dared come near. After all, you had staked claim to the best seat in the house, all reserved for your beloved Taka-chan. His excitement was subtle, but contagious, and your heart swelled at the sight.

The two of you sat beside each other, hands still interlocked as you gazed up into the sky. As the sky erupted into a glittering display of golds and reds, the two of you were sound asleep. The fatigue had finally caught up to your tiny bodies, making you miss the one display what you had been looking forward to.

While you slept soundly, your chaperones could only share knowing looks. Even in your slumber, your hands were still intertwined, which proved to be a bit difficult when it was time for you to part.

You had cried the next day, when you woke up in your bed, clad in your nightclothes, with no recollection of the fireworks display. A similar sight was seen in the Aone household, but with quiet sniffles from Takanobu. Not even the usual distractions could quell your sobbing – that is, until the telephone was pressed against your ear, and you heard the shaky voice of your Taka-chan on the other line.

* * *

It was only a matter of time before the two of you were old enough to go to the festival by yourselves, clad in similar outfits, but with years of age and maturity added to your figures.

“We’ll be awake this time,” you joked, earning a grin from the middle blocker. His smile sent a wave of warmth through your system, that this time, you had to be the one to look away.

Little was left unchanged between the two of you since that fateful encounter outside his home. He had slowly come out of his seclusion, and was even staring at a spot at nationals with the rest of the members of the volleyball club.

Along the way, you had found yourself in the slow descent of infatuation towards your childhood friend. It was nothing short of cliché.

“Can I hold your hand?”

His voice was a deep rumble that you felt in your bones, his eyes staring down at yours with a softness that was reserved only for you. You scoffed, rolling your eyes as you trekked towards that very spot, all those years ago. “I’m not afraid of crowds anymore, Taka-chan.”

“I know.”

You spun around, only to be met with his chest pressed close to yours. In the distance, you could make out the faint whistle of the rockets flying into the air. You kept your gaze on his face, committing the sharp angles and soft curves to memory as you stared at the steely eyes that you had long fallen for.

Calloused hands made their way to your face, gently tilting towards his. “You know…” His voice was no more than a whisper, yet it echoed in your head as he pulled your close.

“You have really pretty eyes.” The statement could be romantic, but with his lips a breadth from yours, echoing the first words that you blurted out to him, you couldn’t help the bubble of laughter from escaping your own.

As the sky erupted with various shades of glittering gold, the two of you found yourselves missing the firework show once more.

This time, you didn’t mind. For this time, your eyes closed not with slumber, but with adoration, as you felt his lips against yours, a hand on your waist to pull you closer to him. Breaking apart for air, and seeing a blissful expression on his face that seemed to mirror yours, you thought that you wouldn’t mind missing a hundred more fireworks – if you could do this all over again.

Nope, you wouldn’t mind at all.


End file.
